A Super El Niño is coming. Here’s how a hotter ocean could change the weather near you

Key Points:

• An El Niño event is expected to develop in the Pacific Ocean by late summer or early fall, potentially becoming a significant or "Super El Niño," which is rare and marked by ocean temperatures more than 2°C above average.
• El Niño causes shifts in ocean and atmospheric patterns, leading to global weather impacts such as flooding, drought, heatwaves, and increased wildfire risks in various regions including the U.S., Australia, Africa, and South America.
• In the U.S., El Niño typically intensifies winter storms on the West Coast and southern states, while suppressing Atlantic hurricane activity due to increased wind shear in the tropical Atlantic.
• A strong El Niño releases large amounts of ocean heat into the atmosphere, likely driving global temperatures to record highs in 2026, 2027, or both, thereby accelerating the pace of global warming temporarily.
• While there is uncertainty in forecasting the event's intensity due to the spring prediction barrier, meteorologists will monitor the warming Pacific closely, with some models suggesting this could be the strongest El Niño on record.